March Pānui, 2018

15/3/2018

GM Corner

Kia ora koutou

There is a flurry of activity this month at the Trust Offices as we prepare our annual plans for next year for Trustees review, testing and hopefully sign-off. The Trust takes the responsibility of managing settlement assets for the benefit of all Ngāti Apa ki Te Ra Tō Iwi very seriously and the Trustees want to ensure that that the activities we say we are going to deliver over the next financial year (1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019) make sense, are achievable and are a prudent use of our resources. Although we continue to lead in the area of cultural revitilisation and our programmes (particularly the rangatahi-focused programmes) are rightly acknowledged across the motu as best-of-class, there is plenty of scope to do even better. We also have plans around how to drive our environmental presence and get a better handle on the huge demands of this portfolio, how to set up our Whakapapa and Archives departments to deliver long-term value to Iwi members as well as how to lift our engagement with the Iwi to another level. We hope you will begin to see the results of this planning over the coming year.

I know a number of people have asked where we are at in getting a permanent replacement into the GM role. As Brendon has mentioned we are interviewing currently and are hopeful of an announcement soon. For me personally I am more than happy to assist the Trust and make sure we get the best possible outcome. I am forever humbled and grateful to be part of this organisation and genuinely believe in the potential of NAKTRT Trust to make an important and valuable contribution to the lives of the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Iwi.

Flooding in Riwaka following Cyclone Gita – Little Sydney Stream

Finally, as I’m writing this, Cyclone Hola is about to bear down on us. We saw the effects of Cyclone Gita earlier this year with significant parts of the Rohe affected particulary in Takaka and the West Coast with at least one NAKTRT whānau having to leave their house. Weather extremes are a predicted result of climate change and it is unfortunate that this is now likely to be a normal part of our life going forward. Please be careful when a storm hits and take shelter and ride it out. Think about getting an emergency civil defence kit in your house and talk to the whānau about safety and what to do in an emergency. I know a number of our whānau live on coast, operate in boats and other maritime activities and urge you to constantly check the weather forecast and use www.metservice.com or the Metphone coastal number 0900 999 then regional map no: 74 (Stephens) or 66 (Abel) or 65 (Cook) or 67 (Conway). At the Trustee’s request we are also reviewing all of our grants programmes to check whether we can provide appropriate support for whānau in need. There is a hardship grant available which you can inquire about through the office.